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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Red clocks by Leni Zumas is set in a world where abortion and IVF are illegal. The story follows story of 5 women, 4 in the present day and one in the mid 1800s.
The new laws have different effects on the 4 women. However, I felt the book could have used more character building. The concept of the imagined world is brilliant and eerie, however, I didn't feel much for any of the characters except the biographer. There's left a lot of scope for the world to be realised. The writing is patchy is what I felt. Lawmakers need to listen more to the people these laws are made for. The right to a women's body is her own and it should remain that way. However, I wish this kind of world doesn't become a reality for any of the people out there.
The new laws have different effects on the 4 women. However, I felt the book could have used more character building. The concept of the imagined world is brilliant and eerie, however, I didn't feel much for any of the characters except the biographer. There's left a lot of scope for the world to be realised. The writing is patchy is what I felt. Lawmakers need to listen more to the people these laws are made for. The right to a women's body is her own and it should remain that way. However, I wish this kind of world doesn't become a reality for any of the people out there.
I had a hard time understanding how Eiver’s story fit. I believe if there was more focus on the other 4 perspectives I would have enjoyed it more. Eiver’s parts kept pulling me away from the present day characters and their issues.
there's good stuff here, but the literary aspects of the novel wholly detract from the characters and the message.
A stylistic strange, but also a compelling, book. This is the story of women in the U.S. as it might have been if a Personhood Amendment was passed, granting rights to embryos. This means no abortions, no in vitro, and eventually even no adoption for single women. Anyone attempting to abort or help someone conceive via in vitro can be tried criminally (for murder, in the case of abortions).
The novel is very current and therefore very effective in reflecting what society thinks of women's rights — some are ambivalent and complacent, others are aggressively discriminating, and others still, are willfully dismissive. All of the people in this book are people you have known in your life, which is a big strength of the narrative.
The novel is stylized. Each chapter keeps the author and the reader at a distance by referring to the characters as "the daughter," "the biographer," "the mother," and "the mender." Each sentence too is sometimes a strange collection of sharp phrases. The author often uses fragments to create associations between objects a character's feelings. Sometimes it worked for me, other times it didn't. Still, I felt for each of the characters. Honestly, required reading for anyone who has ever met a woman.
However, I didn't care for the inserts of the biography of Eivor Minervudottir, a 19th-century female explorer. The way her life intertwined with that of Ro (and the other women) was interesting — but it was much more interesting when the details were incorporated into Ro's chapters. There was much more resonance that way. As is, it was often jarring.
The title of this book is one of my favourites — simple but with a wryly amusing, apt meaning. "Red Clocks" wasn't the best book I have read this year, but it was the book that I wanted to scream the most to: "Yes, yes, yes. I agree with you. Everything is how you say it is. Thank you for writing it."
The novel is very current and therefore very effective in reflecting what society thinks of women's rights — some are ambivalent and complacent, others are aggressively discriminating, and others still, are willfully dismissive. All of the people in this book are people you have known in your life, which is a big strength of the narrative.
The novel is stylized. Each chapter keeps the author and the reader at a distance by referring to the characters as "the daughter," "the biographer," "the mother," and "the mender." Each sentence too is sometimes a strange collection of sharp phrases. The author often uses fragments to create associations between objects a character's feelings. Sometimes it worked for me, other times it didn't. Still, I felt for each of the characters. Honestly, required reading for anyone who has ever met a woman.
However, I didn't care for the inserts of the biography of Eivor Minervudottir, a 19th-century female explorer. The way her life intertwined with that of Ro (and the other women) was interesting — but it was much more interesting when the details were incorporated into Ro's chapters. There was much more resonance that way. As is, it was often jarring.
The title of this book is one of my favourites — simple but with a wryly amusing, apt meaning. "Red Clocks" wasn't the best book I have read this year, but it was the book that I wanted to scream the most to: "Yes, yes, yes. I agree with you. Everything is how you say it is. Thank you for writing it."
Rather a dud for me. Maybe it's that in the Summer I like to read plot driven stories that fly across the page, and this did NOT fit that bill. I don't at all mind experimental structure, and in fact often love a book that gives me something different, but it seems like such a let down to be given such a horrific premise (abortion illegal, no single parent adoptions, no gay adoptions) and find very little horror in the book.
Sure, there was some brief tension at the border, and in the scenes with The Daughter and The Mender, as well as The Mender's trial, but The Biographer I found to be merely tragically sad without much at all in the way of development (until her story overlaps with The Daughter, and then it's still The Daughter's story that is compelling), and The Wife was just painful to read. Having a story about a woman who is supposed to have this Desireable Life, but in fact does not, is perfectly fine. And certainly, women are allowed to hate their life yet love their children. But dear God, just tell me that in an aside within The Biographer's chapter and then move the eff on.
I do agree with other reviewers that this feels very Atwood. So, I suppose it makes sense that this was a very mixed bag for me. I love The Handmaid's Tale but hated Alias Grace.
Basically, go into it knowing what you'll be experiencing, and if that's your jam, you'll enjoy it. If you go in thinking it will be a book with tension, you'll be let down.
Sure, there was some brief tension at the border, and in the scenes with The Daughter and The Mender, as well as The Mender's trial, but The Biographer I found to be merely tragically sad without much at all in the way of development (until her story overlaps with The Daughter, and then it's still The Daughter's story that is compelling), and The Wife was just painful to read. Having a story about a woman who is supposed to have this Desireable Life, but in fact does not, is perfectly fine. And certainly, women are allowed to hate their life yet love their children. But dear God, just tell me that in an aside within The Biographer's chapter and then move the eff on.
I do agree with other reviewers that this feels very Atwood. So, I suppose it makes sense that this was a very mixed bag for me. I love The Handmaid's Tale but hated Alias Grace.
Basically, go into it knowing what you'll be experiencing, and if that's your jam, you'll enjoy it. If you go in thinking it will be a book with tension, you'll be let down.
3.5/5 stars
This book, was quite an interesting one. The writing style was very experimental, and kind of weird. The way the POVs are set up, makes you feel slightly detached, but after about half the book, I actually did care what happened to a few of the characters.
The world that these women have to live in is terrifying. It isn't even that far fetched, it could become a reality. In this version of the USA, the Personhood Amendment has been introduced into the constitution - where embryos are considered people, and abortion, IVF, and even attempting to abort an embryo is illegal and women can be sent to prison.
This book follows 4.5 women and their paths as they navigate their way through the world. The biographer, who is single, but wants a baby, The Daughter, who has an unwanted pregnancy, The Mender, who gave her child up for adoption and helps women with sexual problems, and The Wife, who has two children, but is in an unhappy marriage. (This last POV is the one I least empathized with). The half POV is of the women that the Biographer is writing about, and realistically, this was probably the worst part of the book for me. Most of it just didn't make sense, and really didn't add anything to the narrative for me.
I found this book to ask some really tough questions, and it explored who gets to choose. It explored parenthood, adoption, abortion, and many other facets of a women's sexuality. I really enjoyed this exploration and that is why I overall think this was a good and important book. Even if the writing style, and maybe what the author was trying to get across with her writing was lost on me a little. The overall message was there.
An interesting read, and one that should garner a lot of discussion in today's world.
This book, was quite an interesting one. The writing style was very experimental, and kind of weird. The way the POVs are set up, makes you feel slightly detached, but after about half the book, I actually did care what happened to a few of the characters.
The world that these women have to live in is terrifying. It isn't even that far fetched, it could become a reality. In this version of the USA, the Personhood Amendment has been introduced into the constitution - where embryos are considered people, and abortion, IVF, and even attempting to abort an embryo is illegal and women can be sent to prison.
This book follows 4.5 women and their paths as they navigate their way through the world. The biographer, who is single, but wants a baby, The Daughter, who has an unwanted pregnancy, The Mender, who gave her child up for adoption and helps women with sexual problems, and The Wife, who has two children, but is in an unhappy marriage. (This last POV is the one I least empathized with). The half POV is of the women that the Biographer is writing about, and realistically, this was probably the worst part of the book for me. Most of it just didn't make sense, and really didn't add anything to the narrative for me.
I found this book to ask some really tough questions, and it explored who gets to choose. It explored parenthood, adoption, abortion, and many other facets of a women's sexuality. I really enjoyed this exploration and that is why I overall think this was a good and important book. Even if the writing style, and maybe what the author was trying to get across with her writing was lost on me a little. The overall message was there.
An interesting read, and one that should garner a lot of discussion in today's world.
The first ~10% of this was difficult for me. I couldn’t pin the characters or their world down, couldn’t find a connection. But after that, something shifted profoundly and I found myself entirely affected. This is up there with When She Woke for feminist dystopian fiction about illegal abortions. (That sounds like a joke about how specific that category is, but it’s not; I was so moved by When She Woke that I almost quit library school and became an abortionist.) I would recommend, easily, for this political moment, with The Handmaid’s Tale occupying a position of such relevance.
A near future dystopia that's a bit too close to reality for comfort, seeing how the US has evil evangelicals trying to completely ban abortion, contraception, same sex marriage, and single moms. Thank you backwards southern and rust belt states. The book jumps rapidly between multiple characters, using both descriptions like "the biographer" and their given name, it has a bit of a rough feel to it due to that.
The assorted female characters face various trials and tribulations that for the most part are very real, the obnoxious father who doesn't help out at home and abusively treats his wife like a servant, the wife beater, the herbalist who's called a witch, there is a witch hunt in this book, and several others. It's not a good world for women, though there are some glimmers of hope. It's not a Margaret Atwood book!
Indeed, several of these obnoxious males get the boot, are sent to prison, etc. The witch is found innocent and the student continues her education after a very risky abortion, there's a happy ending for all the characters.
A decent read that would make for an interesting discussion.
The assorted female characters face various trials and tribulations that for the most part are very real, the obnoxious father who doesn't help out at home and abusively treats his wife like a servant, the wife beater, the herbalist who's called a witch, there is a witch hunt in this book, and several others. It's not a good world for women, though there are some glimmers of hope. It's not a Margaret Atwood book!
Indeed, several of these obnoxious males get the boot, are sent to prison, etc. The witch is found innocent and the student continues her education after a very risky abortion, there's a happy ending for all the characters.
A decent read that would make for an interesting discussion.
4.5
I will be thinking about this book for a long time. Loved the different perspectives and the characters themselves.
I will be thinking about this book for a long time. Loved the different perspectives and the characters themselves.
Definitely underwhelmed. This was nothing like I expected it to be...which likely tainted my entire experience. It was written much more like a literary fiction novel than a dystopian in terms of tone and perhaps that threw me.
There are four primary antagonists (the biographer, the wife, the mender, and the daughter) with a fifth secondary antagonist (Eiver), all of whom are followed through interweaving stories. The primary antagonists intersect well and their personalities are well reflected in their actions and the change of tone and writing style that takes place in each individual chapter. In some ways this was good, as it made the characters more distinct. But in some ways it just made things jerky and disorienting.
I just wasn't overly impressed. There was nothing overtly bad about it -- though some pieces were unnecessary and/or just plain weird -- but there also wasn't anything really powerful, intriguing, or impactful either. Good concept, but not a good enough execution for my taste.
There are four primary antagonists (the biographer, the wife, the mender, and the daughter) with a fifth secondary antagonist (Eiver), all of whom are followed through interweaving stories. The primary antagonists intersect well and their personalities are well reflected in their actions and the change of tone and writing style that takes place in each individual chapter. In some ways this was good, as it made the characters more distinct. But in some ways it just made things jerky and disorienting.
I just wasn't overly impressed. There was nothing overtly bad about it -- though some pieces were unnecessary and/or just plain weird -- but there also wasn't anything really powerful, intriguing, or impactful either. Good concept, but not a good enough execution for my taste.